KALAMAZOO, MI -- Last season was a down one for Southwest Michigan ski resorts and low snow-fall totals meant this year wasn't shaping up to be a whole lot better.

But a recent blast of winter weather has operators of area ski resorts hopeful that the season will finish strong.

“The trend of lake-effect snow is excellent and we will most certainly have wonderful conditions,” said Joan Bailey, marketing director for Timber Ridge Ski Area. "We aren’t going to break any records, but it certainly will be a good season, it might even be a very good season."

Until Jan. 16, only 5 inches of snow had fallen in the area this winter season, said Ray Hackman, a local weather expert. Since that time, 25 more inches have fallen, and the the recent snow should stick around for a while.

“That last cold snow all melted with the recent 50-degree weather, but it should stay in the 20s to 30s for the next week or two,” Hackman said.

T.J. Turnage, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Grand Rapids, said the precipitation outlook suggests the potential for above average snowfall for the remainder of the winter season.

Crystal Davis, who has a season pass at Bittersweet Ski Resort in Otsego, cleared her schedule Friday when she saw that the conditions were excellent for a day at the slopes.

"It is a blast,” said Davis, who lives in Battle Creek. “Especially on a day like today, it is a total joy.”

Brian Deyoung hit the hills early Friday at Bittersweet to get in some skiing before going to work. He said that he couldn’t resist the fresh powder.

"Earlier in the season, there wasn't much snow and not enough runs were open," Deyoung said.

Local skier Austin Tank does a trick over a rail in the terrain park at Timber Ridge on Wednesday. The Inspired Demo Tour came to Timber Ridge Ski Area to show off big air tricks on the terrain park and mingle with local skiers.James Buck / MLive

Bittersweet general manager Victor Gayheart said that so far this season they have had even fewer patrons than last year. However, he said that business has been picking up in recent weeks and natural snow is the best advertising they could get.

“We are about 4,000 skiers behind where we were last year at this time,” Gayheart said. “The natural snow really makes or breaks us.”

Wiseman said that if people don’t look out their window and see snow, they think there must not be any on the ski hills, either.

“People have to realize that all the ski areas in southern Michigan always have snow,” Wiseman said. “We have state-of-the-art grooming because the technical part of man-made snow has come so far.”

However, it has to be cold enough to make snow. Last year, for example, Timber Ridge did not open until Jan. 4, its latest opening since the 1980's. With this year picking up, Bailey is optimistic that this season will redeem itself before the resort closes
in mid-March.

The websites for both Bittersweet and Timber Ridge offer webcams so that prospective skiers can check out conditions from anywhere with a computer. While Swiss Valley does not have a webcam, Wiseman said the conditions there are now very good.

"Now that we have all of this beautiful base," Wiseman said, "we need it to stop snowing and get the roads in good shape."